The concept of "Latin America"

Note 1

This completely conventional concept unites all continental countries located south of the United States and the West Indies. Territories Latin America were colonized by the Spaniards, Portuguese, and French. England, France and the USA had numerous colonies here. In Latin America, the predominant Romance languages ​​are Spanish and Portuguese, which are derived from Latin.

The term "Latin America" ​​was coined as a political term by Napoleon III$, the French emperor. At that time, both Latin America and Indochina were considered nothing less than a sphere of special French interests, so the term originally denoted those parts of America where Romance languages ​​were spoken. From the moment of the conquest, there was a violent implantation of languages, so in many modern countries region, Spanish has become state language. The exception is Brazil, where the official language is Portuguese. Both languages ​​function in the region as national variants. They are characterized by their own linguistic characteristics, which, on the one hand, were influenced by Indian languages, and on the other hand, the autonomy of their development. In countries such as Haiti, Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, the official languages ​​are English and French. The population of Suriname, the Antilles, and Aruba speaks Dutch.

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Native American languages ​​were displaced after the colonization of America. Only in Bolivia, Peru and Paraguay the Quechua, Aymara, and Guarani languages ​​have been preserved and are official languages. In general, Latin America is bilingual and a number of countries practice multilingualism. Today, the term "Latin America" ​​refers to a region that is united by supranational cultural interests and is a mixture of the cultures of the Romance peoples of Europe with Indian and African cultures, this is the difference between Latin America and the European cultures of Romance origin. The religious structure of Latin America is dominated by Catholics, because it was the only compulsory religion during the colonization period, all other religions were brutally persecuted, suppressed by the Inquisition.

Composition of Latin America

Latin America includes:

  • Argentina,
  • Belize,
  • Bolivia,
  • Brazil,
  • Venezuela,
  • Guatemala,
  • Haiti,
  • Honduras,
  • Dominican Republic,
  • Colombia,
  • Costa Rica,
  • Cuba,
  • Mexico,
  • Nicaragua,
  • Panama,
  • Paraguay,
  • Peru,
  • Salvador,
  • Trinidad and Tobago,
  • Uruguay,
  • Chile,
  • Ecuador,
  • Jamaica.

French territories are Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana. The territory of Puerto Rico is under US administration.

Note 2

Sometimes this list includes the Falkland Islands, Guyana, and Suriname, which are culturally and linguistically different from the rest of Latin America.

Overall, Latin America is largest region a world within which there are more than $30 independent states and a number of still remaining colonial possessions. The continent is home to developing countries that have come a long way independent development. Countries are far from homogeneous; they are distinguished from each other by their area, population size, ethnic composition, level of economic development. In addition, they are also distinguished by their political significance. For example, Brazil is the largest country in terms of area. The country occupies $40$% of the region's territory, which is $400$ times the area of ​​El Salvador.

It has first place in the region and in terms of population. This state has the greatest economic potential and the most developed industry. In addition to Brazil, the La Plata countries include Uruguay and Paraguay, which have an agricultural-export specialization. Paraguay is a typically agrarian country, the most backward on the continent.

The Bahamas, which are still formally a colony of Britain, are considered a tiny state in Latin America, and $300,000 of the islanders call themselves subjects of the British Crown. The standard of living of the population of the islands is high and several times higher than the level of Argentina, Mexico, and Brazil. Not far from the Bahamas is one of the poorest countries in the world - Haiti. Mexico has the most complex and turbulent history, which marks the continuous struggle of Mexicans for their rights and independence against Spain and the United States.

Today Mexico has achieved great success in development national economy and provides itself with most of the necessary industrial goods. Latin American countries belong to developing countries, but occupy an intermediate position - the pace and achieved level of economic development are significantly higher than the countries of the African continent, but lower than the countries of Asia. Argentina, Brazil and Mexico, which account for $2/3 of the region's industrial output, are included in the group of newly industrialized countries. These also include Chile, Venezuela, Colombia, and Peru. In their region, the countries have created several economic integration groups. This is the South American Common Market (MERCOSUR), which includes Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. The grouping covers $45$% of the population, $50$% of total GDP, $33$% of Latin America's foreign trade volume.

Note 3

If we compare Latin American countries with developing countries Asia and Africa, it must be said that many indicators of economic and social development Latin American countries are largely ahead of independent countries in Asia and Africa. But even within the region itself, there are significant differences between countries in their levels of development.

Geographical location of Latin America

The countries of Latin America are located in the western hemisphere of the planet south of the border with the United States. The first country in this composition is Mexico. Thus, Latin America includes the southern part of mainland North America, Central America, the West Indies Islands and mainland South America. WITH west side the region is washed by waters Pacific Ocean, on the eastern side - by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

The area of ​​the region is $21$ million sq km, which is approximately $15$% total area sushi. Mainland countries have among themselves natural boundaries, passing or by large rivers or along mountain ranges. The majority of countries have open exit to oceans other than Bolivia and Paraguay, or are island states. The region is very close to the USA. The territory stretches from north to south for $13$ thousand km, and the maximum length from west to east is $5$ thousand km. Despite the remoteness of Latin America from other regions of the planet, its economic and geographical position is quite favorable for economic development.

This is facilitated by:

  1. Open access to the seas and oceans;
  2. Availability of the Panama Canal;
  3. Close position to the USA;
  4. Huge and not yet realized natural resource potential;
  5. Globally, this is a zone of US influence.

Note 4

If Brazil is the largest mainland state, then the largest island state is the Republic of Cuba, located at the junction Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico and stretches for $1,250 km. Countries in the region by state structure either a republic or a state within the British Commonwealth. The remaining countries are possessions of Great Britain, the USA, and the Netherlands. There have been no major political or other conflicts within this region.

This is explained as follows:

  1. Significant commonality in the culture and history of the countries;
  2. The countries are almost similar in terms of economic development;
  3. Natural conditions and terrain are not conducive to the development of armed conflicts.

The expression “Latin America” is heard quite often. Everyone understands it in their own way: for some it is South America, for others it is countries American continent, whose population speaks predominantly Spanish. And for others, these are simply warm and small states located far from Europe, somewhere south of the USA. In fact, the countries of Latin America and their capitals, a list of these states is not so easy to form. The reason is the difference in approaches.

As you know, South America was colonized mainly by people from Spain and Portugal. It naturally happened that subsequently young states were formed here, adopting these two languages ​​as official. But linguists know that Spanish and Portuguese belong to the so-called group of Ibero-Romance languages; they arose at one time on the basis of ancient Latin. There is also the language of the French, it is also Romance, but Gallo-Roman. Whatever one may say, he is no stranger to Latin.

Thus, the list of Latin American countries was formed precisely on the basis of belonging to these, conventionally Latin, languages ​​(hence the name).

However, focusing only on the linguistic feature, we get a somewhat strange picture. In a close group of countries, individual states will be distinguished that do not speak Romance languages, nevertheless, geographically closely connected with the “Latin” countries. It turns out that for convenience you need to take into account not only the language of the country, but also its geographical location.

A striking example is Belize, an English-speaking state surrounded on all sides by Spanish-speaking countries. Belize is usually listed as a Latin American country even though, linguistically speaking, it shouldn't be there.

Thus, a person interested in which countries are included in the concept of Latin America will quickly discover that there is no single list. If we talk about classical Latin countries that speak Spanish and Portuguese, we get one list. If we add here French, as well as, for example, Creole, the picture will be different. And if we take into account the close geographical connection, our list will increase even more, but, strictly speaking, it will no longer be “Latin”.

But this is not all the difficulties. The fact is that in this region not all countries are separate states in the classical sense of the word. Some, such as Puerto Rico, are "semi-states", overseas territories of larger metropolises (in the example given, a US territory). This leads to the fact that not all compilers agree to include them in the general list, citing the fact that these territories do not have real statehood. In any case, they have their own capitals, so we are still inclined to include them in the compiled list.

What is more important: the alphabet or geography?

There are quite a lot of countries included in the concept of “Latin America”. Usually, if they are combined into one list alphabetically, it is difficult to read; attention is forced to “jump” every now and then from region to region, from mainland to island and back. We decided to split the list into several parts, based on their geographical location.

So, here are the countries and capitals located south of the United States, but north of Colombia. Simply put, these are states located in the territory North America, as well as on the narrow isthmus between the two Americas.

  1. Mexico (Mexico City);
  2. Guatemala (Guatemala);
  3. Honduras (Tegucigalpa);
  4. Belize (Belmopan);
  5. El Salvador (San Salvador);
  6. Nicaragua (Nicaragua);
  7. Costa Rica (San Jose);
  8. Panama (Panama).

Well, next on our list of Latin American countries are states located in South America. This is a huge territory located between the Isthmus of Panama and the Drake Passage, from which it is already “a stone’s throw” to the coast of Antarctica.

  1. Venezuela (Caracas);
  2. Colombia (Bogota);
  3. Guyana (Georgetown);
  4. Suriname (Paramaibo);
  5. Guiana (Cayenne);
  6. Ecuador (Quito);
  7. Peru (Lima);
  8. Brazil (Brasilia);
  9. Bolivia (La Paz);
  10. Chile (Santiago);
  11. Argentina (Buenos Aires);
  12. Paraguay (Asuncion);
  13. Uruguay (Montevideo).

Thus, there are 21 countries on our list. All of them are located on the mainland of the Americas, and their belonging to Latin America is usually not disputed. Although, as already mentioned, in connection with Belize, some compilers do not entirely agree with this list. As a rule, these are adherents of the “pure” option, according to which exclusively Spanish-speaking states are considered the countries of Latin America.

But in addition to continental America, there is also island America. A considerable number of small (and at times quite large) states and semi-states are located in the so-called West Indies, on the islands of the Caribbean Sea. Among them there are Spanish speakers, such as largest state region - Cuba, but there are many whose language is not at all Latin. Nevertheless, geographically these states are closely related to each other, they have a largely similar history, which allows them to be classified as Latin America. Although it is obvious that the main principle in this case is the “neighborhood factor”.

  1. Cuba (Havana);
  2. Jamaica (Kingston);
  3. Haiti (Port-au-Prince);
  4. Dominican Republic (Santo Domingo);
  5. Bahamas (Nassau);
  6. Puerto Rico (San Juan);
  7. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (Kingstown);
  8. Grenada (St. George's);
  9. Dominica (Roseau);
  10. Barbados (Bridgetown);
  11. Trinidad and Tobago (Port of Spain);
  12. Antigua and Barbuda (St. John's).

We will limit our list of Latin American countries to these states, although in some sources its volume is increased to 42. As a rule, it expands at the expense of tiny semi-states like the British Virgin Islands, which are not truly independent countries, but constitute so-called dependent territories. However, do not rush to think that these are colonies. As a rule, their metropolis is one of developed countries world, which makes the standard of living in such quasi-states quite high.

Latin America is a huge and diverse region. To assess its scale, we present only some data:

  • This territory lies simultaneously in two hemispheres: Northern and Southern.
  • The lands of the region are washed by two oceans at once: the Atlantic and the Pacific.
  • The region is home to the Andes, the longest mountain system on the planet.
  • The total area of ​​the region is almost 21 million km².
  • The countries of the region are home to about 630 million people.
  • Latin America is a bridge (think about it!) between the USA and Antarctica.

Studying the countries of Latin America and their capitals, the list, it becomes clear how diverse there is natural conditions, what a rich culture of numerous peoples who mixed here as a result of colonization, slave trade, and mass migrations. It is difficult to find another similar region on the planet, where the destinies of peoples representing different continents are so closely intertwined. Latin - a real "Noah's Ark" of humanity!

It is a collection of countries located in territories that were previously dependent on European metropolises. These countries occupy part of South and North America, as well as the isthmus between them. Latin America is amazing land mysterious civilizations such as the Aztecs and Mayans, as well as brave caballeros, sultry beauties, unique traditions and cultures. A group of Romance languages ​​(Spanish and French) is used as official languages.

Countries and capitals of Latin America

Below are the countries and capitals of Latin America, as well as their brief characteristics.

  • Antigua and Barbuda is a small Caribbean country. The country's population is more than 86.6 thousand inhabitants. Official language- English. The capital is the city of St. John's.
  • Argentina is the second largest country in Latin America by area. Its population is more than 42.6 million inhabitants. The official language of Argentina is Spanish. The capital is the city of Buenos Aires.
  • Belize is a country located in the Caribbean. The country's population is 308 thousand inhabitants. The official language is English. The capital is Belmopan.
  • Bolivia is a country located in the center of South America. Its population is about 10.5 million inhabitants. The official languages ​​are Spanish and Quechua. The capital is the city of Sucre.
  • Brazil is the largest country in Latin America. It occupies the territory of central and eastern South America. Population – 201 million inhabitants. The official language is Portuguese. Capital – .
  • Venezuela is a country located in the north of South America. Its population is more than 28.4 million inhabitants. The official language is Spanish. The capital is a city.
  • Haiti is one of the poorest Latin American countries, constantly suffering from natural disasters and coups d'etat. Population – about 9.9 million inhabitants. The official languages ​​of Haiti are French, Creole and . The capital is Port-au-Prince.
  • Guatemala is a country located in the central part of the Americas continent. Population – about 14.4 million inhabitants. Most of the residents are mestizos and Indians. The official language is Spanish. The capital is Guatemala City.
  • Honduras is a country located in the central part of the Americas continent. It is washed and... Population – more than 8.4 million inhabitants. The official language is Spanish. The capital is the city of Tegucigalpa.
  • The Dominican Republic is a country located in the east of the picturesque island of Haiti. Population: approximately 9.7 million inhabitants. The official language of the Dominican Republic is Spanish. The capital is a city.
  • Colombia is a country located in South America. Population – more than 45.7 million inhabitants. The official language is Spanish. The capital is a city.
  • Costa Rica is a small country located in the center of the Americas continent. Its population is more than 4.2 million inhabitants. The official language is Spanish. The capital is the city of San Jose.
  • Cuba is an island country located in the Caribbean. Its unofficial name is Liberty Island. Population – just over 1 million inhabitants. The official language of Cuba is Spanish. Capital – .
  • Mexico is a country located in the south of North America. Its population is 116.2 million inhabitants. The official language is Spanish. Capital – .
  • - a state located in the central part of the Americas continent. Population – more than 6 million inhabitants. The official language of Nicaragua is Spanish. The capital is Managua.
  • Panama is a state located on the Isthmus of Panama. Its population is about 3.7 million inhabitants. The official language of Panama is Spanish. The capital is Panama.
  • Paraguay is a country in the center of South America. Its population is more than 6.3 million inhabitants. The official languages ​​of Paraguay are Spanish and Guarani. The capital is Asuncion.
  • Peru is a country in South America, located in its northwestern part. Its population is about 30.5 million inhabitants. The official languages ​​of Peru are Spanish, and in some regions - Aymara, Quechua, etc. The capital is Lima.
  • El Salvador is a country located in the center of the Americas continent. Its population is 6.9 million inhabitants. The official language of El Salvador is Spanish. The capital is San Salvador.
  • Uruguay is a country in the southeastern part of South America. Its population is more than 3.3 million inhabitants. The official language is Spanish. The capital is Montevideo.
  • Chile is a country located in the southwest of South America. Its population is more than 17.2 million inhabitants. The official language of Chile is Spanish. Capital – .
  • Ecuador is a country located in South America. Its population is more than 15.4 million inhabitants. The official language of Ecuador is Spanish. The capital is Quito.

In addition, Latin America includes the following territories: Puerto Rico (US territory) and the territories of French Guiana, Martinique, Guadeloupe, San Martin and San Barthelemy.

Sights of Latin America

Latin America is incredibly rich in interesting places. Here are located 3 of the 7 new wonders of the world. All attractions of Latin America can be divided into natural and man-made objects, as well as cities and villages of ancient civilizations.

Natural attractions

  • Ojos del Salado is the highest volcano on Earth (6887 m).
  • The Atacama Desert is the driest place on the planet, located in western South America.
  • The Andes are the longest mountain system in the world (9000 km).
  • – the highest waterfall in the world (979 m).
  • – the longest and most picturesque river on the Planet (6437 km).
  • c - the largest South American island, with an area of ​​47,992 square meters. km. This is a virgin land that is famous for its wildlife, beautiful landscapes and harsh climatic conditions.
  • Waterfalls located on the border of Argentina and. They represent one of the most beautiful natural wonders of our Planet.

Man-made landmarks

  • The Maracana Stadium in Brazil is one of the largest stadiums in the world, capable of accommodating up to 103 thousand fans.
  • The statue of Christ the Redeemer is one of the 7 new wonders of the world. The statue is located on Mount Corcovado in Rio.
  • Geoglyphs of the Nazco Plateau - a group of amazing images, lines and geometric shapes created by an unknown civilization.
  • Moai are the stone idols of Easter Island.

Cities and villages of ancient civilizations

  • Cusco (Peru) is the ancient capital of the Inca Empire and one of the oldest South American cities. The name of the city is translated from Quechua as “navel of the world.”
  • Machu Picchu (Peru) is one of the 7 new wonders of the world, known as the “city in the sky” or “lost city of the Incas”.
  • Teotihuacan (Mexico) – the famous “ghost town”, which is the oldest locality Western Hemisphere.
  • Umxal (Mexico) is the ancient center of the Mayan civilization, located on the Yucatan Peninsula.
  • (83.6 cm), Brazil (1.11 m), Venezuela (80 cm), Guatemala (83.58 cm), Honduras (83.5 cm), Colombia (20 cm), Costa Rica (83.6 cm), Mexico (83.8 cm), (80 cm), Paraguay (86.7 cm), El Salvador (83.5 cm), Uruguay (85.9 cm), Chile (83.5 cm), (84 cm), Cuba (84.8 cm) and Argentina (86.7 cm).
  • Legua is a unit of length used in Guatemala (1 unit = 5.573 km), Honduras (4.2 km), Colombia (5 km), Cuba (4.24 km), Ecuador (5 km), Paraguay (4 .33 km), Peru (5.6 km), Uruguay (5.154 km), Chile (4.514 km), Brazil (6.66 km), Mexico (4.19 km) and Argentina (5.2 km).

The video lesson is dedicated to the topic “Composition of Latin America. Political map". This topic is the first in the section of lessons dedicated to Latin America. You will get to know a variety of interesting countries regions that play a significant role in modern world. The teacher will tell you in detail about the composition, borders, and uniqueness of the countries of Latin America. How additional material The lesson covers three topics: “Island of Freedom”, “Junta”, “Capture of Grenada”.

Topic: Latin America

Lesson: Composition of Latin America. Political map

Latin America is the name given to the region of the Western Hemisphere located between the United States and Antarctica. Latin America is divided into several subregions. These are Middle America (Mexico, countries of Central America and the West Indies), Andean countries (Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile), countries of the La Plata basin (Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina), Brazil. The name “Latin America” comes from the historical predominance of the language, culture and customs of the Romance (Latin) peoples of the Iberian Peninsula in this part of the world.

The region covers an area of ​​21 million square meters. km with a population of more than 570 million people.

Rice. 1. Political map of Latin America ()

The countries of Latin America vary in area: the largest country in the region is Brazil, the smallest are in the Caribbean.

The borders between countries pass mainly along rivers, ridges and other orographic features.

Economic geographical position Latin America:

1. Proximity to the USA.

2. Distance from other regions of the world.

3. Availability of the Panama Canal.

4. Almost all countries (except Bolivia and Paraguay) have access to the sea.

According to the form of government, all countries in the region are republics. Latin America includes more than 33 countries. Some countries are members of the Commonwealth (for example, Guyana, Dominica, Trinidad and Tobago). Guiana belongs to France. Cuba is a socialist state.

In terms of the form of administrative-territorial structure, unitary states predominate; the following countries have a federal structure: Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Venezuela, Saint Kitts and Nevis.

Rice. 2. Flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis ()

Stages of formation political map Latin America:

1. Stage of pre-European colonization.

2. Colonial stage.

3. Post-colonial stage.

4. Stage after the Second World War.

The civilizations of the Mayans, Aztecs, and Incas were located in Latin America.

The territory of Latin America was developed mainly by Spain and Portugal.

Puerto Rico has a special status. Puerto Rico is a territory dependent on the United States and has the status of an “unincorporated organized territory,” which means that this territory is under the administration of the United States (and is not an integral part of it), and is limited in scope by the US Constitution; The supreme power belongs to the US Congress, but the territory has its own system of self-government.

Currently, many issues regarding borders and ownership of territories have not been resolved. A striking example is the disputed Falkland Islands (Malvinas) between Great Britain and Argentina.

Cuba. The official name is the Republic of Cuba, the unofficial name since 1959 is Liberty Island - an island state in the northern Caribbean Sea. The capital is Havana. Cuba is the largest island state in the region, stretching for 1250 km. It is located at the junction of the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, forming the “American Mediterranean”. The key depicted on the country's coat of arms is a symbol of the fact that discovered by Columbus in 1492, the island has been a kind of key to the New World for centuries. Cuba is a socialist state; for a long time it was an ally of the USSR.

Junta. In many countries this word refers to various organs government controlled, including civilians. In modern Russian (as well as in a number of other languages ​​of the world) the word “ junta" used primarily to refer to a military dictatorship established as a result of a coup d'état. A striking example is the Government Junta of Chile.

Homework

Topic 10, P. 1

1. What regions (subregions) are distinguished in Latin America?

2. Name the features of the EGP of Latin America.

Bibliography

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